Series: Rob Norman

A true worshipper is someone who has surrendered their life to Jesus and chosen to live before him transparently and faithfully. This is a consecrated life; a life that is dedicated and set apart to God and His purposes.

Many Christians don’t know the love of the Father from first-hand experience. We may have some intellectual understanding of The Father’s Love and we may have even experienced His presence at different times, but it is still possible we don’t walk in the reality of The Father’s love.

As we get intimate with God we should expect to be overwhelmed by his uncloaked presence; whether that means a full-on Theophany, Christophany or that our our eyes and heart are opened to the unseen world isn’t so important, what is important is that God reveals Himself to us.

Real fulfillment can only be found in Christ. Yet, discipleship caries a cost that we measure by questions like “what will it cost me if I do this?”. We may not say that ‘out-loud’, but subconsciously we ‘do the maths’ in terms of time, money and energy. What we don’t often consider is that non-discipleship also carries a cost that can be measured by answering the question “what will it cost if I don’t do this?”

As society turns away from God the lives of true Christians stand in greater contrast to the lives of others. We will encounter greater battles and greater persecution. The Christian life will require greater courage.

The parables of the ‘hidden treasure’ and ‘the pearl of great price’ in Matthew 13:44-46 are about God’s absolute commitment to His people. When we understand the magnitude of God’s love for us it becomes natural that when Jesus said “follow me” to his disciples the invitation meant following him all the way into ministry!

The word “commitment” dials up all sorts of anxieties in us. As soon as we hear someone asking us to commit our minds automatically begin looking for an ‘out’, an excuse that precludes us from committing “too heavily”. Commitment, however, is at the very heart of following Jesus.

Incarnational ministry seeks to dispense with ministry “from a distance” and embrace ministry “up close and personal”. If we are to be Jesus to the world then it is imperative we know the person and works of Jesus.

The Old Testament provides us with a view of Justice that stands apart from all other writings of antiquity. Its pages reveal account after account of consequential justice being executed against a back-sliding Israel because of her breaches against God’s just Law.

When we talk about sin people get their noes out of joint because we equate ‘sin’ with being a particularly bad person. The truth is, since the fall, in the garden of Eden, only one person in history has been sinless.

Critics of Christianity and some theologians think that Jesus and Paul preached different gospels. This is where a seemingly simple question “What is the Gospel?” becomes a little more complex, thus requiring us to dig deeper. On the surface it appears that Jesus and Paul had slightly different emphases. Again, this is where we all have a responsibility to study Scripture and understand the big picture, not just our favourite doctrines, themes and verses.